Allen and Mary Glasgow – WV Tree Farmers of Year, 2015

Allen and Mary Glasgow’s first forest management plan was prepared by David Sirna in 1989. David helped guide the Glasgows through their first timber sales during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Several areas were selectively harvested to remove mature hardwood sawtimber and unacceptable pole-sized trees. Other areas of very poor quality hardwood trees were clearcut and converted to loblolly pine plantations. Now these 22-year-old plantations are close to being ready for a thinning or harvest cut.

From the very beginning, Allen’s passion was to plant trees that would benefit the wildlife and produce a source of income in the future. He started planting paulownia, chestnuts, crabapples, pears, ash, yellow poplars, and other species at the rate of about 300 trees per year. It didn’t take long to discover the many hazards in planting trees such as: competition for water and nutrients from grasses and weeds, deer browsing on the young seedlings, poor survival and growth due to the seedlings poor root development, and bucks rubbing and scarring the trees with their antlers. With each setback Allen was proactive and inventive in finding ways to solve each of those problems. He purchased his planting stock from numerous sources but soon discovered that his best source of seedlings was from the West Virginia State Nursery. He also experimented with gathering native nuts to grow seedlings from them. His whole approach was to think through the problems and find long term solutions.

For example, in order to protect his trees from deer damage he first used round plastic tubes with stakes. Soon he discovered these were not strong enough to provide the right amount of protection. Another solution was to use plastic liter soda bottles, with the two ends cut out, and attaching them around the tree stems. This provided some relief from the antler rubbing, but didn't always offer 100% protection. After several other attempts and inventive ideas, Allen discovered the best seedling/tree protection was from a wire cage. The wire cage encircled the entire tree from top to bottom and kept the deer from rubbing or eating the young tree. However, wire was very expensive to purchase so Allen became a "wire picker." Everywhere he went, he kept watch for used wire. He would gather wire from his neighbors, friends, yard sales, auctions, and just about any other source, take it to the Tree Farm, and use it for his wire cages. He also would stock pile discarded outdoor decking as a source of pressure treated lumber for the wooden stakes. Once the decking was ripped to the correct width and cut to length, it would support the cages much longer in the ground. His storage shed next to the farmhouse has a good supply of wire and wooden stakes for his future plantings.

One of Allen’s most important seedling survival discoveries was to plant a seedling with the biggest and strongest root system. If the seedlings had an underdeveloped root system, they would soon die from the grass and weed competition. Allen solved that problem by constructing raised beds to hold his seedling over for one year. If the seeding grew in the raised bed for a year, it would develop a root system that would sustain it through the first year of planting. In addition to the raised beds, Allen has started to pre-plant his seedlings in pots for a year and then transplant them in the field. The pots provide enough growing space for new root development and they are easier to handle and transport in the spring during planting time. All of this requires a lot of planning and effort that takes place several years before any seedling gets into the ground. For example Allen has already planned out the location of each planting spot for next spring. The cages are in place and identified so in the spring all he needs to do is drill the planting hole with his tractor, plant the seedling, and replace the cage. He and his helper can get several hundred seedlings in the ground in just a few hours.

But as every tree farmer knows, nothing is guaranteed to succeed and tree farming is very unpredictable. For example some of Allen’s early plantings for a timber crop were white ash trees. But, during the past several years, Hampshire County has been invaded by the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Allen and Mary’s tree farm was hit hard. The EAB had infested all his native ash trees plus the young ash that Allen had planted just a few years ago. So again, Allen was proactive during this setback. He contracted with local logger, Mr. James Gloyd, to harvest his mature ash sawtimber and pulpwood before the Emerald Ash Borer wiped out every tree. Unfortunately the young ash were not large enough to salvage and they remain standing and infested with EAB. Allen plans to replace these dying ash with yellow poplar seedlings over the next several years. In addition, in places where the removal of the mature ash left an understocked stand, Allen has been filling in the open spaces with new plantings. It’s hard to see at this time, but in a few years these open areas will be fully stocked with trees due to Allen’s pro-active planting program.

So, after hearing this brief introduction to Allen and Mary Glasgow’s Tree Farm, was my friend correct in describing Allen as a "guru in planting and growing hardwood seedlings." If you had the chance to hear and see Allen’s story first hand from him, I think you’d agree he is. His passion and enthusiasm for tree farming is evident in everything he has accomplished on the tree farm. The West Virginia tree farm committee has chosen the perfect representatives to be their 2015 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year!